During the early 20th century, hundreds of thousands of people around the world were stricken with leprosy. Ignorance of the disease led to isolation for those infected, and leper colonies were established. Many colonies used their own currency. These 50 Centavos leper coins are from Colombia. Scientific advances have proven the disease cannot be spread via handling simple objects, and these intriguing coins are safe to handle today. Only 100,000 brass coins were struck in 1928. They feature a stylized Maltese cross, associated with the disease since ancient times, and the word LAZARETO, meaning hospital for contagious people.